My stubborn boss

[Starlight925]

I have everything business and personal completely separate:

Separate laptops, separate email addresses, separate phones even.

Everything.

I don't even browse the internet on the business laptop, unless it's strictly business related.  

Yes, Alex, please remove yourself, set her up as a separate account with a new email address for her, and hand the "keys" over to her.

I'm glad you see that.

[Alex39]

58 minutes ago, Tinydance said:

Honestly I think a lot (most) of the stress you always feel you are causing to yourself. For some reason you become extremely involved in things that most people wouldn't actually care about. You take things that have nothing to do with you or concern you and take them very personally. You always want to get involved in other people's business and think everything should be done differently. A lot of the things you write about a really a non issue at all. This is just you for some reason blowing it very out of proportion and also making it all about you.

You have come into this woman's business acting like you are the owner and boss. YOU ARE NOT. The way you're talking is that you are ENTITLED to get a raise and entitled to teach classes there. By the sounds of it you haven't been there very long. So you don't deserve a raise straight away. Every job I worked in did automatically give me a raise every year to match with inflation but it was only once per year and the raise was very small. So maybe like $1 - $2 dollars per year. Some jobs I was only there three months so I got no raise because I hadn't been there for a year. You applied for a job with a certain salary and this is what you accepted. It doesn't matter if you have a Masters. I have a university degree too but if I really need  a job and apply as a cleaner then this is my ACTUAL job. I'm not a manager or owner there but I'm simply cleaning the toilet because that's what I AGREED to.

You are not entitled to teach classes there because you didn't apply as a fitness instructor there. She doesn't owe you literally anything beyond the advertised role and pay which you AGREED to. If you don't like all this which you AGREED to then simply leave. If you're so amazing and important then go work somewhere else which you consider to be worthy of how superior you are.

Your boss isn't treating you badly because she told you what the role was going to be and what your job was at the start. She didn't say you were getting higher pay or you would be a fitness instructor. So she hasn't deceived you. She was looking for someone for this role and it was you who applied for it. She has no obligation to treat you in some special way or give you anything outside of what your agreement with her was.

 

I don't think you read my other posts. I did not care about the pay when I took the job. When she mentioned giving out experience based raises, I professionally asked for one too, expressing my qualifications and experience. She denied me the raise, which is fine and that is her choice. But she also then smeared my experience and education adding that my experience and education is worthless to her and isn't that great. Which was offensive and unprofessional.  I then went on to assess in my own mind how much work I was doing and the quality of work I produce for her, and realized that I deserve more so now plan on leaving. AND because she considers my professional background and experience not worthy to her. I'd rather work elsewhere. 

I plan on leaving when I get a better job. 

I did not ask her to teach classes or want to teach classes for her. I never expected to and don't feel entitled to. She inquired about my teaching background and she decided that she didn't like my teaching certifications for her space, and I was fine with that. 

[Alex39]

1 hour ago, Batya33 said:

But she paid you to create these pages for her - you chose to attach them to your own account so it's not ok for you to close what she paid you for.  For example let's say she paid you to buy fitness equipment - and you kept it at your house let's say because she wasn't ready to have it at her place -perhap there were renovations or the like. Let's say she forgot you had stored it at your house. So .... if you quit it would be ok for you to keep the equipment because it's at your house - unless she remembered that her property was at your house and arranged to pick it up? No.... you'd remind her that it was being stored in your home and ask her when she wanted to get it.  You wouldn't wait X time for her to recall it then sell it and keep the $.  Right??? 

That's my plan. To continue to remind her to connect the social media to herself. Then when I give my two weeks, I will remind her during that two weeks to collect the social media. And then after I leave I will set a deadline to claim her social media. If she doesn't, then she does forfeit the pages. My friend just went through this in a breakup. Her boyfriend left items at her house. In writing, she let him know multiple times and set him up to pick up the items. He never did. She went to a lawyer and he said after X amount I'd times it's considered abandoned. So she donated them. 

[Alex39]

42 minutes ago, boltnrun said:

It's easy to creat a new Facebook account. Simply create a new email address first.

I have three different personal email accounts. Only one of them is linked to Facebook. I have had two different Twitter accounts because I used a different email address for each one. 

I find it baffling that you didn't think to just create a new email account for this business. 

The only thing I can think of is that you wanted to be personally connected to her business because you felt you were going to be asked to buy into the business as a part owner or she would bring you in as a partner. I can't see any other reason why you would link her business to your personal accounts.

I never even list my personal cell phone number on my work email signature. I don't own the business. I'm not even an officer of the corporation. So there's no need to attach my personal info to the business. 

Facebook makes you connect a business to a direct person on Facebook as the owner. She needs to create a personal account. She needs to create her own personal email address and open a personal Facebook account. I've explained this to her. She understands this.  She has not done it. 

When she has her own account, I will hand her the facebook account and not be involved. But I cant hand her an account into thin air. 

I need her permission to open a personal email for her. I need her permission to open a personal email for her business. She doesn't want that right now. 

[Alex39]

45 minutes ago, boltnrun said:

It's easy to creat a new Facebook account. Simply create a new email address first.

I have three different personal email accounts. Only one of them is linked to Facebook. I have had two different Twitter accounts because I used a different email address for each one. 

I find it baffling that you didn't think to just create a new email account for this business. 

The only thing I can think of is that you wanted to be personally connected to her business because you felt you were going to be asked to buy into the business as a part owner or she would bring you in as a partner. I can't see any other reason why you would link her business to your personal accounts.

I never even list my personal cell phone number on my work email signature. I don't own the business. I'm not even an officer of the corporation. So there's no need to attach my personal info to the business. 

She makes me use my personal cell phone and my phone number for clients to contact me. I didn't want that. She won't give me a work phone or number. 

[Starlight925]

Just now, Alex39 said:

I need her permission to open a personal email for her. I need her permission to open a personal email for her business. She doesn't want that right now. 

Then, in writing, give her X amount of days before you simply close out these pages.

Untangle yourself from this mess.

[Starlight925]

1 minute ago, Alex39 said:

She makes me use my personal cell phone and my phone number for clients to contact me. I didn't want that. She won't give me a work phone or number. 

No one "makes" you do anything.

 

[Alex39]

21 minutes ago, boltnrun said:

Alex, I happen to think you have so much potential to have most of what you want. But you get in your own way, primarily by over investing in situations that clearly don't serve you well or by expressing so much vitriol toward people who seem to have what you want for yourself. It doesn't have to be that way.

You're young, educated, own your own home and have the ability to create a lovely home. You have talents. But you honestly waste so much of what's positive about yourself. 

I strongly recommend that instead of tripling down in situations which you can clearly see are not the best for you, you learn to let go. Either stop over investing or choose to completely remove yourself. See things for how they are, not for how you think you can force them to be. As for your envy (yes!) toward your married or coupled friends, think about what you can do to have those things for yourself. Whether it's going places and doing things where you'll meet quality single men or maybe asking friends to introduce you to people. 

And the reason why people repeat themselves in your threads? It's probably because YOU keep repeating yourself by pointing out the flaws of this business owner or of your friends. Over and over. And people are trying to get across that she (or your friends) are not the issue. 

I agree that I get in my own way sometimes. 

[boltnrun]

4 minutes ago, Alex39 said:

She makes me use my personal cell phone and my phone number for clients to contact me. I didn't want that. She won't give me a work phone or number. 

No, she can't "make" you do this. 

If she wants you available to clients she will provide you with a business phone and business email address. If she isn't willing to do this, the clients will need to contact her directly. 

The company I work for does not "make" me use personal ANYTHING. Because they can't. 

[Batya33]

35 minutes ago, Alex39 said:

I agree that I get in my own way sometimes. 

Yes and you can do your paper trail and she... can share with others her perspective on what you did with her account.  Burning bridges etc- what a strange analogy you made to someone with a  boyfriend situation.  

[Wiseman2]

37 minutes ago, Alex39 said:

She makes me use my personal cell phone and my phone number for clients to contact me. I didn't want that. She won't give me a work phone or number. 

How did you apply for the job if she doesn't have a phone number or email address?  I have never heard of a business, large or small that doesn't have a phone/email. Why would clients go through your personal phone number or social media or email? It doesn't seem to make sense. If you are doing receptionist work making appointments etc, why wouldn't you do it from her office/studio? 

[catfeeder]

4 hours ago, Alex39 said:

Okay, I'll remove my personal everything and try to get her up on social media again. That way I can easily walk away. 

That's really good, Alex. You meant well, and you don't owe us any explanations or defenses. You get to use this conversation for your own purposes. 

I do hope that you will take your time to reflect on this one, seemingly insignificant, blurring of your boundaries with those of your employer. This is not accusatory--it's for your own insight. I hope you'll possibly even raise this with your therapist. It's got a huge neon sign over it that says 'Dig here!'

The fact that you didn't see a logical line between your best-intended help for this woman versus her autonomy as a business owner is a sign post that points to WHY some of the best efforts you've expended on those you care for might not turn out as appreciated as you would have hoped.

I'm not trying to be cryptic, and I'll answer anything about my opinion you might want to ask. Meanwhile, I hope this experience turns out helpful for you--it could be a gold mine!

Head high, honey.

[Alex39]

1 hour ago, Wiseman2 said:

How did you apply for the job if she doesn't have a phone number or email address?  I have never heard of a business, large or small that doesn't have a phone/email. Why would clients go through your personal phone number or social media or email? It doesn't seem to make sense. If you are doing receptionist work making appointments etc, why wouldn't you do it from i

I'm going to try to explain. 

She has two emails- one generic one for her business and her personal one. Let's call her Jo Smith.  

Business email- she and I manage this one and answer clients. 

And

Jo Smith email 

She had a personal Facebook profile for Jo Smith. Using her Jo Smith email as her username. 

She opened a business profile under her personal profile and ran a business page for her business. You have to be a person on Facebook to open a separate business page. They are linked. So all she had to do was login to Jo's Facebook page and she can then toggle separately and control her her business page. Two pages, separate controls, but can be edited by Jo through her Facebook, one login. 

She got her identity stolen and her information hacked. She gave it away to scammers. 

They went in and took over her Facebook profile for Jo, and subsequently took over her business page attached to Jo. 

In turn, Facebook shut down her Facebook profile and her business page. And she can no longer use her Jo Smith email for Facebook. 

We got control back of both email accounts, hers and the business one. 

She runs her email herself. She and I both run the business email and email clients from it. 

To create a new Facebook business page you need a regular Facebook profile as a person. I had one already for me, Alex Smith. So I made her a business page for her business. So when I log into Facebook, I can manage my personal page and her business page. I toggle between the two. 

I can hand the page to another Facebook person  to own and manage, but you need a facebook account and profile. 

Her profile was shut down by facebook after the hack. Since her Jo Smith email was used for the old profile, Facebook will not allow her to use it again to make another profile. They see it as a hacked bad email. Even though she uses it now. 

I told her to make herself a dummy personal email and make herself another Jo Facebook profile. Then I'll hand the business page to her. Once I send it to her, control's will be hers through her Facebook,  all she has to do is login to her Jo Facebook profile and she can manage her business page again, toggling between them. 

But she won't sign up for facebook again. And doesn't want another email to do so. 

So her business page is stuck attached to mine. I honestly don't want the responsibility anymore. 

She has no business phone number. She uses her personal cell phone number to contact clients and she wants me to use mine to also have clients call me. 

 

[Batya33]

So she should use a business website. How about explain you only can transfer if she is willing to open a new FB account via a new email?  Because transferring your design of her FB business page - can that even be done between FB and a domain name?

[Alex39]

6 minutes ago, Batya33 said:

So she should use a business website. How about explain you only can transfer if she is willing to open a new FB account via a new email?  Because transferring your design of her FB business page - can that even be done between FB and a domain name?

I don't think you guys are getting me here. We have a website and a business email. I'm just trying to transfer ownership of her Facebook, tiktok, and Instagram to her. She needs to make personal accounts on all those social media sites so I can assign her the owner of the business accounts. 

 

[Batya33]

8 minutes ago, Alex39 said:

I don't think you guys are getting me here. We have a website and a business email. I'm just trying to transfer ownership of her Facebook, tiktok, and Instagram to her. She needs to make personal accounts on all those social media sites so I can assign her the owner of the business accounts. 

 

Yes. So did you design her FB page or just her business website. You mentioned you revamped one. What I was getting earlier is a plan to retain her page and remove the design etc you were paid to do. Now you seem to realize that wouldn’t be appropriate for you to do. I also get you’re way too enmeshed in this in more ways than one. As a part time assistant 

[catfeeder]

11 minutes ago, Alex39 said:

I don't think you guys are getting me here. We have a website and a business email. I'm just trying to transfer ownership of her Facebook, tiktok, and Instagram to her. She needs to make personal accounts on all those social media sites so I can assign her the owner of the business accounts. 

 

Open a gmail address for her and use that as her personal email. Open those accounts and transfer the business account to that gmail address. Then give her the gmail address as her login, along with the PW you created for her. Then, that's that, unless you want to be kind enough to show her how to login to both the gmail account and her SM accounts.

[LootieTootie]

Once you create a new email for her business, you can just say to her: "Hey here's your new business email address (*****@*****.tld) and password. Here are your social media pages, with username and passwords. All accounts are linked to *****@*****.tld so you can change your password any time including your new business email address without worrying about me going in after I leave. You will be the only one who will edit/modify." I would also do this all in writing so theres a paper trail.

That means the onus is on her and she can't try to say that you sabotaged her business thru media platforms that only you have access to. There are cases where employers have sued former employees for similar situations so you just want to make sure you cover your bases.

It's very important that you go back and think about what I said. The thought process of how you were okay for your personal accounts to be linked to the business accounts. 

You don't owe us an explanation so I will just hope you think about it. We all make mistakes, and it's important that we acknowledge it and hold ourselves accountable so we don't repeat.

 

 

[catfeeder]

14 minutes ago, LootieTootie said:

Once you create a new email for her business, you can just say to her: "Hey here's your new business email address (*****@*****.tld) and password. Here are your social media pages, with username and passwords. All accounts are linked to *****@*****.tld so you can change your password any time including your new business email address without worrying about me going in after I leave. You will be the only one who will edit/modify." I would also do this all in writing so theres a paper trail.

That means the onus is on her and she can't try to say that you sabotaged her business thru media platforms that only you have access to. There are cases where employers have sued former employees for similar situations so you just want to make sure you cover your bases.

It's very important that you go back and think about what I said. The thought process of how you were okay for your personal accounts to be linked to the business accounts. 

You don't owe us an explanation so I will just hope you think about it. We all make mistakes, and it's important that we acknowledge it and hold ourselves accountable so we don't repeat.

So well said, and with no loose ends left to create unnecessary conflicts.

Alex, how are you doing? LT's request to think this through is important, because this isn't about a single incident. It's just an example of outcomes we've seen you suffer over time. I'm really sorry about this pattern.

When you voice your conflicts about accepting a specific request, many of us suggest that you honor your caution to decline, only to hear that you've accepted the request. Then you detail additional reasons why you're unhappy with your decision.

From there you voice conflicts that you raise or wish to raise with the offending requestor or the friends who support this person. We tend to suggest that rather than continue to suffer the outcomes you envision, or worse, rather than needlessly IMPOSE such conflicts on another, you back out of what you've accepted, which you already begrudge. Instead, you pursue your own vision of how things 'should' be, and you proceed to create additional conflicts with other participants.

In this case, it's just one woman, but to this day you write that you cannot understand why you don't feel appreciated by others. Yet you continually create certain dependencies upon yourself to perform as others wish, only to sabotage those outcomes with your resistance. So, yes, everyone involved does end up resenting that.

While each instance comes to a head over something specific, you have placed yourself in full control over satisfying each outcome--or not. In this case, there are potential legal consequences to 'not', so I hope you'll resolve this immediately.

Meanwhile, I also hope you'll recognize that these are not random circumstances that happen 'to' you.

None of this makes you a horrible person, even while each instance spells that your inner conflicts end up coming out sideways and cause the outcomes you suffer. This doesn't mean that you're not allowed conflicts. It only means that learning how to say 'NO' instead of causing damage with your conflicts may be an ideal option to pursue. And if your current therapist can't help you to reach such a goal, then maybe consider another therapist?

Hang in there, luv.

[Tinydance]

I think that even if she doesn't want to make new E-mail addresses or social media accounts, once you quit you just need to delete her business social media. Let her know that you are resigning and you will wait a bit but if she doesn't create her own accounts, you'll delete them as you can't have them linked to your personal social media. Don't feel bad if you have to do this because you are not obliged to let her use your private Facebook page for her business. 

I understand what you're saying that your boss was giving other employees a raise. It was tactless and insensitive of her to mention this to you if she wasn’t going to give you a raise as well. I think it's a bit of a grey area though in terms of what she was saying about your experience in the fitness industry. The qualified fitness instructors there are actually working as fitness instructors. Therefore they've got experience on par with the role they are performing. You are actually not a fitness instructor there, even though you do have some background in this industry. Again I'm not necessarily saying that she's being fair but she could be coming at it from that perspective. 

I agree you do have a concern and investment in how much you get paid. But I don't think you should concern yourself with how many hours this woman is working, how much money she makes, who her clients are, etc. Everyone has opinions about things but these opinions are just yours and aren't always asked for or needed by other people.

This woman has been running a business for quite some time. This business is making money on the elderly clients and has been able to stay afloat like this. At the end of the day it's up to the owner who they have as clientele. Their main objective is probably making money. So if they're making money in their way and they're fine with it then you don't need to stress yourself. If you were the owner then by all means you can run your own business as you like, but you aren't the owner. You don't need to take anything on which is not concerning your life or impacting you directly. Whether her clients are teenagers or seniors, as long as your salary is going into your account then that's all that should matter to you. 

[Kwothe28]

7 hours ago, Alex39 said:

I can hand the page to another Facebook person  to own and manage, but you need a facebook account and profile. 

 

That doesnt need to be her. When and if she hires another Social Media Manager, you can tranfer it to them. I got one from another Social Media Manager when I started to manage one page. 

In the future, for things like that, you should open it for the business. Meaning that you should have made an email and open it for her. Also not that out of the ordinary, lots of bussineses dont have some pages and require you to open them for them. It makes your job easier when stuff like this happens. But again, its not a problem if you did it with your Facebook account. Just makes it more complicated when you are no longer there and need to transfer admin right to somebody else.

[Batya33]

5 hours ago, Tinydance said:

Let her know that you are resigning and you will wait a bit but if she doesn't create her own accounts, you'll delete them as you can't have them linked to your personal social media. Don't feel bad if you have to do this because you are not obliged to let her use your private Facebook page for her business. 

I was trying to figure out whether Alex designed the FB page or just the website.  If the former then she was paid to design and the results belong to the owner. She can design another one linked to the owner free of charge of course. But deleting might not be appropriate.

I think she had grandiose or at least exaggerated ideas about who she was to this person even on a personal level or veering off into the personal.  I've received compliments over the many years I've been working like "I don't know what I'd do without you."  I know I am utterly replaceable -I mean yes I value my work, yes I see how I've gone that extra mile more than certain others -but -I know my place, I know I'm replaceable. I know it's business.

  Also many years ago -like around 30 years ago I went to an event sponsored by a recruiter -what some would call a career coach now.  She said -each week write down what  you accomplished in your work. Keep the list.  That way when you look for another job you'll remember how you added value to the company and can explain to a future employer what you did specifically. 

In Alex's case that migt also keep her more in tune with reality -a better perspective than reminding herself ad nauseum about the X number of years she's been doing this, her academic background etc.  Increasing this woman's bottom line -can go on the list - but in a very specific just the facts m'am way.  Just a suggestion.  

[Alex39]

10 hours ago, catfeeder said:

So well said, and with no loose ends left to create unnecessary conflicts.

Alex, how are you doing? LT's request to think this through is important, because this isn't about a single incident. It's just an example of outcomes we've seen you suffer over time. I'm really sorry about this pattern.

When you voice your conflicts about accepting a specific request, many of us suggest that you honor your caution to decline, only to hear that you've accepted the request. Then you detail additional reasons why you're unhappy with your decision.

From there you voice conflicts that you raise or wish to raise with the offending requestor or the friends who support this person. We tend to suggest that rather than continue to suffer the outcomes you envision, or worse, rather than needlessly IMPOSE such conflicts on another, you back out of what you've accepted, which you already begrudge. Instead, you pursue your own vision of how things 'should' be, and you proceed to create additional conflicts with other participants.

In this case, it's just one woman, but to this day you write that you cannot understand why you don't feel appreciated by others. Yet you continually create certain dependencies upon yourself to perform as others wish, only to sabotage those outcomes with your resistance. So, yes, everyone involved does end up resenting that.

While each instance comes to a head over something specific, you have placed yourself in full control over satisfying each outcome--or not. In this case, there are potential legal consequences to 'not', so I hope you'll resolve this immediately.

Meanwhile, I also hope you'll recognize that these are not random circumstances that happen 'to' you.

None of this makes you a horrible person, even while each instance spells that your inner conflicts end up coming out sideways and cause the outcomes you suffer. This doesn't mean that you're not allowed conflicts. It only means that learning how to say 'NO' instead of causing damage with your conflicts may be an ideal option to pursue. And if your current therapist can't help you to reach such a goal, then maybe consider another therapist?

Hang in there, luv.

I'm doing okay. 

Honestly, this is clearly not the first time I put myself in a situation like this. 

I've been doing this my while life. 

My family has always teased me about being book smart only. And it's true. I've had teachers call me naturally brilliant. But common sense wise, I'm just not always there. 

When I was originally looking for a part-time gig, I was fine doing a brainless bagging groceries job. I just wanted money. I have my separate professional life. I didnt need the experience booster. 

My parents were the ones who convinced me to not take a dumb job. They said to take a job that I could put on my resume. That would help me long term in my career. That paid more. That I was worth more than minimum wage. 

I went to the interview for this job. I thought it was nice and okay. But the pay was low. But I said okay.  Immediately my mom was like- why are you doing all that work for minimum wage? 

This job was a business job, for my resume. But the pay was low for her expectations. I get paid $34 an hour at my regular job, and I'm sometimes doing more intensive work for this lady. 

I took the job, didn't ponder it, didn't weigh my options, just took it. No standards involved. Then when I start it and sit back and see what it is, then I start realizing that it's high work, low pay. 

I do this in relationships too. I don't deeply think about who I'm with. I just so easily accept it because at first it seems nice and okay. Honestly, if I had had higher standards from the beginning and did more deep thought, I would have never even dated my ex, the ex before that, and before that. I wouldn't have last one month with them. I wasnt happy and didn't like who they were. 

I'm a very intelligent book smart person, but in life I'm very naive. I know it, I admit it. I fear people taking advantage of me and smelling it a mile away. 

 

[Seraphim]

You need to stop listening to your parents in many ways as they encourage YOUR dependence on them.
You can be intelligent book wise and street wise . We exist . 😉

[Alex39]

10 hours ago, Tinydance said:

I think that even if she doesn't want to make new E-mail addresses or social media accounts, once you quit you just need to delete her business social media. Let her know that you are resigning and you will wait a bit but if she doesn't create her own accounts, you'll delete them as you can't have them linked to your personal social media. Don't feel bad if you have to do this because you are not obliged to let her use your private Facebook page for her business. 

I understand what you're saying that your boss was giving other employees a raise. It was tactless and insensitive of her to mention this to you if she wasn’t going to give you a raise as well. I think it's a bit of a grey area though in terms of what she was saying about your experience in the fitness industry. The qualified fitness instructors there are actually working as fitness instructors. Therefore they've got experience on par with the role they are performing. You are actually not a fitness instructor there, even though you do have some background in this industry. Again I'm not necessarily saying that she's being fair but she could be coming at it from that perspective. 

I agree you do have a concern and investment in how much you get paid. But I don't think you should concern yourself with how many hours this woman is working, how much money she makes, who her clients are, etc. Everyone has opinions about things but these opinions are just yours and aren't always asked for or needed by other people.

This woman has been running a business for quite some time. This business is making money on the elderly clients and has been able to stay afloat like this. At the end of the day it's up to the owner who they have as clientele. Their main objective is probably making money. So if they're making money in their way and they're fine with it then you don't need to stress yourself. If you were the owner then by all means you can run your own business as you like, but you aren't the owner. You don't need to take anything on which is not concerning your life or impacting you directly. Whether her clients are teenagers or seniors, as long as your salary is going into your account then that's all that should matter to you. 

I understand what you are saying and I agree it was tactless. That was the point I was making. 

She was saying that her fitness teachers have been teachers for years so should get paid for it. 

I wasn't selling her on me being a fitness teacher. I was hired as a business manager, so I sold her that I've been in business management for 10 years. 

My correlation to the job was direct. 

I wasn't trying to say- well Oh I was a fitness teacher before so I should get paid more as a manager. I was saying- hey you hired me as a business person and I have business experience. 

Then she complained that I had no fitness industry experience so my business experience meant little to her, so then I brought up my history in the fitness industry. Which I did have. She was stumped. 

She uses her 20 years as a teacher at other studios to say she is an experienced business owner. She's only owned her own business two years. 

So wouldn't I be considered the same? I worked in fitness for over 6 years so I'm in the industry 6 years deep? Even thoughI didn't own or manage. Under her thought process, I have industry experience only being a teacher. 

AND I have the 10 years of business backing. 7 years of schooling. She doesn't have either. Not saying that's bad at all. I never faulted her for it. I'm just making a point that under her standards of thinking about experience,  I have it.